New Delhi: Information Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi set a bad precedent by intervening in the The Da Vinci Code controversy and personally vetting the film before its release, Censor Board's Chief Sharmila Tagore was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding to criticism of increasing political intervention in the arts.
The film was released to packed houses on Friday, one week later than its worldwide premier, after the Censor Board and the film's distributor reached an agreement to display a statement saying the film is fictitious.
Three of India's 29 states, Punjab, Goa and Nagaland, however, banned the film, responding to the concerns of many Christians who say it maligns their faith.
Tagore said Dasmunshi's move to vet the The Da Vinci Code could prompt Government ministers to begin scrutinising more films in the future.
Tagore said the move "will set a bad precedent. Now if everyone (opposed to a film) decides to go to the ultimate authority, there will be problems ahead. This could also lead to the creation of a parallel censor board," she told the Outlook magazine.
"There will be a lot of petitions now. And I don't think the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has the time or the expertise to watch every film," she said. "However, having seen one film, there will be questions. The minister cannot choose to see one film and not another if there is a protest."
Dasmunshi put a temporary hold on the film's release until he was able to view it with representatives of church groups, who had objected to its content.
Dasmunshi approved the movie's release, but said it would have to run a disclaimer and children would not be allowed to watch it.
Comments
0 comment